§ Mr. Hardyasked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will estimate the volume of additional gas which is likely to be available when an effective gas gathering system is developed; what value this represents in terms of both United Kingdom and Western European current prices and the coal equivalent of the volume of gas involved.
§ Dr. J. Dickson MabonThe Williams Merz report estimated that up to 1,500 million cubic feet a day of methane and up to 9 million tons a year of heavier gases, in total approximately 34 million tons of coal equivalent a year—on the unlikely assumption that they were all used for energy purposes—might be brought ashore via a gas gathering system in the North Sea. These estimates were preliminary and are insufficiently precise to be used to ascribe values. Gas Gathering Pipelines (North Sea) Ltd. is at present carrying out detailed studies to assess the viability of a gas gathering system. The company has been asked to submit its initial report, which will cover estimated gas quantities and the economics of collection, by the end of this year and update it by April 1978.
§ Mr. Hardyasked the Secretary of State for Energy what is the price paid for gas 24W from the southern basin of the North Sea by British Gas and the current price paid for natural gas by the mainland countries of Western Europe.
§ Dr. J. Dickson MabonThese prices, both in the United Kingdom and on the Continent, are commercially confidential matters for the buyers and sellers concerned.
§ Mr. Hardyasked the Secretary of State for Energy what is his estimate of the yield of gas expected from offshore sources in 1980.
§ Dr. J. Dickson MabonSupplies of gas from offshore sources are expected to be about 5,000 mcfd in 1980.